China’s Air Force Pilots Visit NATO Airbase

According to the official webppage of Krzesiny AB, the 31.
Tactical Air Base near Poznan,
Poland was visited by over 50 officials, including
high officers of Chinese Air Force, as part of a study tour of
Europe organized by the Command of People’s Republic of China Air
Force.

Among the visitors there were commanders of squadrons, pilots of
combat units and students of aviation schools.

The main aim of the Chinese visit was to get acquainted with the
equipment used by the most modern F-16 base in the
Central-Eastern Europe. The visitors were welcomed by Brigadier
General Włodzimierz Usarek – the commander of the 2. Tactcal
Aviation Wing, and Colonel Jacek Pszczoła – the commander of the
31. AB.

The guests were additionaly accompanied by the deputy chief of
the Polish Air Force HQ, Brigadier General Krzysztof Żabicki and
Colonel Piotr Cieślik, who is the chief for international
relations in the Polish Air
Force.

R. Najder

The guests got acquainted with the profile of the unit and the
planes that were formerly used in the unit. Later on they went on
to see a part of the most modern set of F-16s in Europe (Block
52+ airplanes).

Next they saw how the airfield fire service works and they were
guided around the base.

The Chinese delegation had no opportunity to see all of the F-16
stationed normally in Krzesiny, as part of them is currently
stationed in Łask AB. 25 F-16s and personnel needed to
mantain the aircraft are stationed there due to the additional
training that takes place in cooperation with the Nellis
detatchment.

During the period of the training the runway in Krzesiny is to
undergo routine maitenance.

It is quite interesting to see a visit of officials from a
country that is considered as an adversary by NATO in one of the
most modern bases in the Central-Eastern Europe.